We are writing to ask you to reconsider and remove the Writer Beware™ panelist, Victoria Strauss, from these sessions.

The above-named panelist, Victoria Strauss, supports extreme ideals that the majority of logical authors would oppose. The publishing community deserves appointed officials who do not hold extreme positions against truthful, selective and unbiased reporting. We deserve representatives who will reflect values before the publishing community.

We would like to provide some facts for your edification:

Fact: It (Writer Beware™) purports that it “shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.” Selectively? Maybe? Sure, until the scam strikes at home base. In 2007 it did; and, it’s a SCAM of EPIC proportions. It involves the estate of Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck (i.e. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937) . . . yes, that Steinbeck. Huge? We think so. Was the failure of Victoria Strauss & Writer Beware™ to report this scam an oversight or a case where they just turned their heads and looked the other way? Swimming with the sharks? What did this scam involve? In principle, it’s the kind of material that Writer Beware™ built its foundation on. Exposing scams that are relative to: 1) engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; 2) breaching fiduciary duties to a client; 3) obtaining an unreasonable fee; and 4) engaging in conduct which tends to defeat the administration of justice or to bring the courts or the legal profession into disrepute. These are the types of claims that spawned Writer Beware™ and its own version of their boycotts; otherwise known as their “Thumbs Down” lists.

It’s time for the “bright light” to shine into the “dark corners of the shadow-world” of Victoria Strauss, Ann “A.C.” Crispin, Writer Beware™ and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA). There’s one name we will not see on any Writer Beware ™ list and we’ll let you decide exactly why that happened. Who was this individual that engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; allegedly breached fiduciary duties to a client; purportedly obtained an unreasonable fee; and may have engaged in conduct which tends to defeat the administration of justice or to bring the courts or the legal profession into disrepute? Well, let’s take a close look at some of the relationships and links. Ann “A.C.” Crispin “thanked him for his help with the SFWA Writer Beware website.” In 2006, Jenna Glatzer (i.e. Bauer vs. Glatzer et al) thanked him for being a “scamhunter.” Victoria Strauss has referred to him as their” “favorite shark.” [Note that the word “shark” is slang for a lawyer. It’s also a term for “a person who preys greedily on others, as by cheating orusury” and/or as a verb to “to obtain by trickery or fraud; steal.”] He represented “people who claimed they were defrauded.” He also goes by “Jaws” on some of the infamous writer and author awareness blogs. He was also known as the “Authors Lawyer.” His ties to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA), Writer Beware™, Ann “A.C.”Crispin and Victoria Strauss are well documented; he worked “closely” with them and had frequent correspondence with Teresa Nielsen-Hayden. He called Victoria Strauss a “colleague.” Who was this highly lauded “scamhunter”? Charles Emil Petit. Also known as Charles E. Petit, Charlie Petit and/or C.E. Petit. AKA “Jaws.” Charles E. Petit is also believed to be an Absolute Write Moderator and frequent contributor and commenter on Writer Beware ™. Confidential sources indicated to The Write Agenda™ that, at one time, all complaints and “cease & desist” letters regarding Writer Beware™ were to be directed to Charles E. Petit. On information and belief, it appears that he did accept service of process for several defendants in the Bauer vs. Glatzer in 2007. This may have also included Jenna Glatzer and Miss Snark. Petit never actually represented any of the defendants. He couldn’t because he’s not licensed in New Jersey. He did accept service and then referred the case to local New Jersey attorneys. He was subjected to disciplinary action, by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, after a complaint was filed by Nancy Steinbeck who was the former wife of John Steinbeck IV, the son of author John Steinbeck (see below). Charles Petit was the attorney of record for the SFWA and Writer Beware™. To read this case in its entirety please go the following link:

Fact:: A blog posting by Writer Beware™, regarding American Book Publishing, raised our curiosity and inquisitiveness. Victoria Strauss has posted on numerous internet sites that American Book Publishing has been the subject of a police “investigation.” In addition, under its “Alerts for Writers” section, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) also states “American Book Publishing has been the focus of at least one police investigation.”

Consistent with the applicable Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) we conducted some extensive (exhaustive) research with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. As a result, we have neither located evidence nor reports of any “investigation” involving American Book Publishing in these jurisdictions. The only “investigation” that we did locate involved a “theft” at the residence of Ms. Nunn, an American Book Publishing principal who had a break-in to her home and also sustained damage thereto. The unanswered question to Victoria and the SFWA is “where is the investigation”? Where is the documentation and evidence? Based on these results, we believe that these are very serious allegations to be making if no such “investigation” has been undertaken. In the interest of good business ethics, these postings by Victoria Strauss and the SFWA should be deleted, retracted and apologies should come forth immediately if they are unable to produce any primary source material as evidence of an investigation. Considering the lack of evidence, it would also be interesting to know exactly what the true motivation was and why Victoria Strauss and SFWA posted this information. However, at this URL: http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/alerts/#American , if you follow the links, Victoria Strauss offers as “proofs” evidence secured from the Wayback Machine . . . an Internet archive service as proof of her claims. In response we contacted all enforcement agencies in the area and our findings may be read here:

“SFWA members: this year it’s IMPORTANT to vote in the upcoming officer elections. Theodore Beale, a.k.a. Vox Day, is running for SFWA President. If you know the name, you’ll know why that’s scary. If you don’t, read the post below… My cat would be the better choice. And my cat is dead.” [Emphasis added]

Fact: Victoria Stauss was a defendant in the Bauer vs. Glatzer case. The case, in our opinion, was nothing more than a cyber-bullying case. The allegations against Victoria Strauss included: Victoria Strauss published false and defamatory statements about plaintiffs Barbara Bauer and BBLA on WB (i.e. Writer Beware™), including, but not limited to, posting a list of the “20 Worst Literary Agents”, which includes false and defamatory statements about Barbara Bauer, including the statement that Barbara Bauer is among agents that have no “…significant track record of sales to commercial (advance paying) publishers…” This defamatory publication was posted and quoted extensively on numerous other websites and blogs on the internet. Strauss has also referred to Barbara Bauer on WB (i.e. Writer Beware™), as a “…scam agent…” and alleged that she engages in “… dirty business practices …” Strauss has also published and continues to publish false and defamatory statements about plaintiffs on other blogs and websites including, but not limited to claiming that plaintiff has “… no documented and verified sales at all.” There was only one Defendant exonerated in this case . . . Wikipedia. See:

Fact: Victoria Strauss is not a successful author. At age 59, 42 years after writing her first debut flop, Victoria Strauss has once again repackaged her old cold suet. If she learned so much about writing “since” that time it certainly has not been anything akin to successful authorship. Or, maybe the public-reclusive Strauss just never learned to put it into practice. It’s painfully obvious that Strauss, while isolated, tweeting and blogging in her cozy Amherst, MA home, has amassed over 13,000 Twitter followers, and yet hasn’t transformed her social followers into actual book purchasers.

What has she learned? Surely, whatever she “learned” about “writing” has resulted in a very unsuccessful literary marketing effort and career that has now spanned decades. However, you “got” to give her the credit of a punch drunk fighter . . . 42 years of pushing the same old cold suet; the book-buying public is still not buying it. Nevertheless, she jumps back up, puts a new cover on it and schlepps it out again. Only Victoria Strauss would use Writer Beware™ again as a platform for self-promotion. Statistically, that strategy has failed as well.

FACT:Victoria Strauss hasn’t released a single book that has stood up on its own original merits. . . repackaging . . . new covers . . . new publishers . . . doesn’t help old cold suet . . . it’s corn.

The original release of this book [The Lady of Rhuddesmere] listed on Amazon has ZERO reviews and a sales ranking over 12,000,000. No matter how you repackage it . . . it’s still corn. Don’t judge a book by its cover? It’s still corn. Strauss has somehow come to the conclusion that forced Cornilingus on the book-buying public will eventually result in literary success.

FACT: The significance of Writer Beware™ as an asset to writers is diminishing. We are also witnessing the demise of Writer Beware (WB) and its significance. Based on visitor’s commentary, the real interest and visitor engagement with WB peaked in 2007 when 447 comments were amassed by the site. Since 2011, the year that The Write Agenda launched, commentary on WB postings have significantly dropped: 417 (2011), 231 (2012), 139, and (2013) and 148 (2014). From 2005 – 2014 a total of 3275 comments were made; 324 were posted by WB administrators and Victoria Strauss has contributed the highest volume of them. Michael Capobianco, Ann “A.C.” Crispin and Richard White have done little on the WB site. Their contributions to the commentary pale to those of Victoria Strauss’.

During 2011 WB averaged 5 comments per post (CPP). These averages have dramatically dropped since that time: 3 CPP (2012), 2 CPP (2013) and 2 CPP (2014). During the 10 year history only 2 posts have ever accumulated more than 100 comments. During 2011, one of these posts generated 146 comments; 35% of the entire comments for that year. One post where the commentary was nearly equal to the entire remarks made in 2005 (143), 2013 (139) and 2014 (148). A 64% drop in visitor comments clearly represents a demise in visitor engagement and the significance of Writer Beware and Victoria Strauss.

Writer Beware Drops in Alexa Rankings

Please . . . seriously, examine your conscience. Having Victoria Strauss on these panels is a joke and an embarrassment to your organization. Furthermore, having Victoria Strauss this panels will prove to be a joke and an embarrassment for those attending this conference.

Thank you for your consideration of our position regarding these important issues. We welcome your comments.

Lady [The Lady of Rhuddesmere] was my debut novel. I wrote it when I was 17; it got me an agent who found me a publisher (a journey of nearly 10 years), where a wonderful editor helped me re-write it from beginning to end, and in the process taught me more about writing than I’ve learned before or since.

– Victoria Strauss

At age 59, 42 years after writing her first debut flop, Victoria Strauss has once again repackaged her old cold suet. If she learned so much about writing “since” that time it certainly has not been anything akin to successful authorship. Or, maybe the public-reclusive Strauss just never learned to put it into practice. It’s painfully obvious that Strauss, while isolated, tweeting and blogging in her cozy Amherst, MA home, has amassed over 13,000 Twitter followers, and yet hasn’t transformed her social followers into actual book purchasers.

What has she learned? Surely, whatever she “learned” about “writing” has resulted in a very unsuccessful literary marketing effort and career that has now spanned decades. However, you “got” to give her the credit of a punch drunk fighter . . . 42 years of pushing the same old cold suet; the book-buying public is still not buying it. Nevertheless, she jumps back up, puts a new cover on it and schlepps it out again. Only Victoria Strauss would use Writer Beware™ again as a platform for self-promotion. Statistically, that strategy has failed as well.

FACT: Victoria Strauss hasn’t released a single book that has stood up on its own original merits . . . repackaging . . . new covers . . . new publishers . . . doesn’t help old cold suet . . . it’s corn.

The original release of this book [The Lady of Rhuddesmere] listed on Amazon has ZERO reviews and a sales ranking over 12,000,000. No matter how you repackage it . . . it’s still corn. Don’t judge a book by its cover? It’s still corn. Strauss has somehow come to the conclusion that forced Cornilingus on the book-buying public will eventually result in literary success.

Victoria Strauss’ Publishing Career: A Lesson in Cornagraphy

This isn’t the first time that Strauss has attempted to repackage her old cold suet. On February 15, 2011 Phoenix Pick republished The Arm of the Stone. Its current Amazon Best Sellers Rank is 5,487,303 and there is only one review following this release. The Garden of the Stone was also reproduced by Phoenix Pick and it has performed equally as miserable. On July 28, 2011, Strauss posted on Absolute Write:

Phoenix Pick bought two of my OP novels, and re-published them earlier this year in TP and ebook format. I got a small advance. Till this new program, they’ve been a backlist publisher, working only with established authors and authors’ estates. I haven’t received my first royalty statement yet, so I don’t know how sales are going . . . . [Emphasis added.]

– Victoria Strauss

Bought? Advance? Royalties? Seriously, what publisher in their right mind would pay an advance on such poorly producing titles? This claim is as humorous as James D. Macdonald’s (the Yog’s Law dude) statement that he (and his ghost writer, Mrs. Macdonald) is paid an advance of $50 – 75,000 per title. Sorry Ms. Strauss, the math doesn’t add up and your disingenuousness is more than transparent. [Note however, Strauss was not “established” enough to have been considered previously by Phoenix Pick.]

Phoenix Pick (who?) maintains a pretty “corny” website and does not have Strauss listed as one of their “extraordinary” authors. However, the Phoenix Pick’s “extraordinary” authors do share a very common element with Victoria Strauss . . . deplorable Amazon Sales Rankings. So, let’s put this into its proper prospective. The Phoenix Pick deal was a pretty big arrangement according to Strauss. Right? They “bought” two of her novels and even purportedly paid her an advance. Right? That’s a pretty hefty vote of confidence on the part of Phoenix Pick. Right? Kind of an “extraordinary” move for a “corny” non-mainstream backlist publisher. Yet in spite of the alleged investment in Victoria Strauss, she’s not listed on their “extraordinary” list? You can only assume that the royalties have been minimal . . . if she’s earned any at all. This is quite a fall for the Strauss who was unceremoniously discharged from Harper Collins years ago.

On February 24, 2015, Strauss, in her typical narcissistic fashion, once again using the Writer Beware (WB) platform, declared that the wonder of technology via Open Road Media (who?) would “give new life to old books,” more specifically hers. Well the technology part is right. However, why would another “corny” publisher attempt to resuscitate books that never had a life to begin with? Books that have been aborted by the book-buying public and serve no literary purpose except to the adoring flying monkeys that make sympathy purchases and indulge her narcissism. That’s her real market. Notice however, there’s no mention by Strauss of a “purchase” or an “advance” by this Open Road Media outfit. Hmm . . . extraordinary? Obviously, another junior varsity (JV) publishing outlet.

You don’t have to burn an author’s books to destroy their cult. Just get people to stop reading them.

– The Write Agenda

Victoria Strauss has destroyed herself. Burning her books would serve little purpose . . . no one in the general public reads them. It’s time for Strauss to allow a natural death of her old cold suet. Please! Don’t give new life to Victoria Strauss’ old books. DO NOT RESUSCITATE! Let them die their natural death and let the corn rest in peas.

Being There . . . The Parallel

Interestingly, there’s a very unique parallel between Victoria Strauss and Peter Seller’s character, Chance, in the movie Being There. First, both are avid gardeners. Second, Chance wanders aimlessly and Strauss as an author has also wandered unsuccessfully for decades. Third, Chance’s words, often due to confusion or stating the obvious, are repeatedly misunderstood as profound; admirers find him direct and insightful, qualities which he admires. Chance’s simplistic utterances are interpreted as allegorical statements. The flying monkeys and low information readers have held Strauss in similar esteem. Fourth, Chance rises to public prominence. He becomes a media celebrity with an appearance on a television talk show and soon rises to the top of society. He remains very mysterious, as the Secret Service is unable to find any background information about him. Public opinion polls start to reflect just how much his “simple brand of wisdom” resonates with the jaded American public. Fifth, Chance likes to watch television. Strauss, who rarely makes a public appearance and is reclusive, likes and hides behind the internet. She is an avid blogger, WB commentator and voracious tweeter apparently locked up in an office in her home; no live book tours but a very aggressive internet “blog tour” schedule or cornhuckfest. Tending a garden seems to be the perfect amusement for a woman that has approached book publishing in solitude.

In the end, Chance walks off across the surface of a small lake. He pauses, dips his umbrella into the deep water under his feet as if testing its depth, turns, and then continues to walk on the water as the president states: “Life is a state of mind.” Chance, like Strauss, has fooled and bamboozled many. The difference here? Strauss is walking on ice . . . very very thin melting ice and she’s testing it to see if she’ll fall through.

Are sensible people trained from an early age to respond automatically to the given words and concepts of others? Is it common that we never really think out much of anything for ourselves, but are content to believe the gospel of others? The last words in the movie are, “Life is a state of mind.” To the low information readers and followers of Victoria Strauss, life is different. Comparatively, Chance doesn’t appear to have the narcissistic tendencies of Strauss.

The Pathology of a Narcissist or Just Insane?

Victoria Strauss’ history of narcissism has become rather tiring. Only a narcissist would repeatedly repackage prose and attempt to convince you that it is valuable; even though the same prose has failed for decades previously. Insane? Strauss’ strategies have turned the metaphorical phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” on its head. The reverse is true here. Strauss is attempting to get us to purchase her books when little has changed but the cover! It’s more than chutzpah, it’s an inflated ego of a highly vain person who is probably a bit self-absorbed and arrogant that would take such steps after decades of failure. It’s like she believes that she is completely superior to everyone and believes that she is more important. She may even resent others to a degree as a result. Strauss appears to have an extreme case of narcissism and may be experiencing delusions of grandeur, believing that she is the “chosen one” or that she has some incredible destiny. To the low information author and flying monkey, it is very easy to fall into the trap of looking only at the surface of Victoria Strauss, her concepts and ideas without taking the time and effort to delve deeper into them; you have to go well beyond the cover. Based on the career of Victoria Strauss, the rubbish she has actually contributed to the publishing world, since she’s republishing again, she should also consider new title names: The Lady of RhuddeSmear, Guardian of the Frills, The Way of Jizzmata duology: The Awakened Bitty & The Burning Gland.

The Lady of RhuddeSmear

Guardian of the Frills

The Way of Jizzmata duology: The Awakened Bitty & The Burning Gland

TWA, [The Write Agenda] Victoria Strauss is neither going to agree to any public appearance with you nor is she going to agree to do a YouTube video. You’ve hit the nail on the head: She’s publically shy, reclusive and will only come out of her Amherst, MA confines if, and only if, there is some sort of gratuitous award for her. And, this claim of ‘death threats’ . . . seriously? She’d commit suicide long before that. Her history of depression and long list of literary flops clearly indicates that nature will take its course; no one will notice except the flying monkey.

– Anonomous

On a deeper level, Strauss, at times has demonstrated behavior that makes her appear highly insecure and unhappy. She has often created the illusion that she is so great to convince herself, and to protect herself from a world that perhaps doesn’t always feel the same way. For example, look at the title of her posting on WB announcing her latest repackaging effort: “NEW LIFE FOR OLD BOOKS (MINE!)” Rather narcissistic? Right? Considering the purported volume of WB followers, why is there only 6 people commenting on this grandiose posting? Even more interesting, www.victoriastrauss.com, Strauss’ main site, a duplicate posting has ZERO comments. Strauss’ main site has an Alexa ranking of 1,119,285 (Google’s Alexa ranking: 1). To Strauss’ credit, although miserable, her Alexa ranking is higher than her Amazon Sales Rankings. Bottom line, there’s more people visiting Strauss’ site than purchasing her corn.

“Hell hath no fury like that of a narcissist being told the truth.”

Tom Dark

All things considered, narcissists will also exhibit some signs of the insecurity that they harbor deep down. Strauss obviously has a fear of public appearances and doesn’t do real well as a public speaker (read her WB posts in the voice of Audrey Hepburn). Her control over internet marketing, blog tours and phone interviews demonstrates how she zealously overcompensates for her perceived shortcomings. She appears to be highly sensitive to criticism, clingy in some ways and desperate for approval and love. The narcissist has one of the most fragile egos of all personality types, and so will be unlikely to cope well with rejection or criticisms. Strauss has not done well in the ego department.

The secret to dealing with Victoria Strauss is to recognize her for what she is, and to take what she says with a pinch of salt. At the same time, you must remember that she is ultimately just trying to seek your approval. Accept the point that she is in fact quite insecure. Don’t allow her to take control or to make everything she says about herself and the industry as gospel . . . do your research . . . deep research. Don’t take our word for it and look beyond the cover.

The Field of Dreams was a corn field and Victoria Strauss has attempted to reseed it again. Strauss will go to her grave thinking that her works mattered and that she contributed something to the literary world. The facts prove otherwise. It’s been corn and will always be corn. As an avid gardener, Strauss’ most notable accomplishment is that she has tended the corn field very successfully.

The Rise of The Write Agenda: Paranoia

It’s a bit ironic, I guess, but from now on anyone who posts screeds attacking Writer Beware under the name “anonymous” is doomed to be associated with the dork(s) at Write Agenda. All the more reason to come forward and post under your own real name and take responsibility for your comments.

– Michael Capobianco

We are also witnessing the demise of Writer Beware (WB) and its significance. Based on visitors commentary, the real interest and visitor engagement with WB peaked in 2007 when 447 comments were amassed by the site. Since 2011, the year that The Write Agenda launched, commentary on WB postings have significantly dropped: 417 (2011), 231 (2012), 139, and (2013) and 148 (2014). From 2005 – 2014 a total of 3275 comments were made; 324 were posted by WB administrators and Victoria Strauss has contributed the highest volume of them. Michael Capobianco, Ann “A.C.” Crispin and Richard White have done little on the WB site. Their contributions to the commentary pale to those of Victoria Strauss’.

During 2011 WB averaged 5 comments per post (CPP). These averages have dramatically dropped since that time: 3 CPP (2012), 2 CPP (2013) and 2 CPP (2014). During the 10 year history only 2 posts have ever accumulated more than 100 comments. During 2011, one of these posts generated 146 comments; 35% of the entire comments for that year. One post where the commentary was nearly equal to the entire remarks made in 2005 (143), 2013 (139) and 2014 (148). A 64% drop in visitor comments clearly represents a demise in visitor engagement and the significance of Writer Beware and Victoria Strauss.

Writer Beware Drops in Alexa Rankings

What was that highly engaged posting by WB? It was, of course, the expose’ they did on The Write Agenda. Yes, we hold the unique distinction of being the subject of the most commented on posting in the entire history of Writer Beware; quite an impressionable accomplishment. Of all the scams and postings on Writer Beware, little old The Write Agenda caught the most interest. It’s a merit badge we will wear very proudly and it’s obviously a very significant statement of our contribution and value . . . and that’s not corn.

All things considered, Strauss has also touted herself as the scam buster that shines “a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams,” yet, as the most aggressive poster on WB, she never reported the literary scam perpetrated by the attorney of WB and the SFWA. This has resulted in the most “corny” and incongruent ignorance of WB and Victoria Strauss in its history. Do you seriously wonder why WB and Victoria Strauss have become insignificant? Aw, shucks!

An anonymous source, apparently connected to TOR Books, has informed W.A.R. that The Babbling Narcoleptic, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, was apparently fired From Tor Books reportedly due to “negative information about her on the web.” The report can be read here. Hayden has owned and operated and been responsible for the content of an internet website called “Making Light”. Hayden was also a non-vindicated defendant in the Bauer vs. Glatzer case. In the Bauer case, Hayden was accused of publishing false and defamatory statements about plaintiffs Barbara Bauer and BBLA on Making Light, including, but not limited to, referring to plaintiff as “…a faux literary agent…,” “…scam agent Barbara Bauer…,” “…kooky…”“…that lunatic…”, and questioning the legitimacy of her Ph.D. degree. [Emphasis Added][NOTE: Bauer vs. Glatzer: Letter from St. John’s University Regarding Plaintiff’s Ph.D. Credentials]. The Write Agenda has been no stranger to Hayden’s attacks. On one occasion, Hayden attempted to fabricate a response through an ill-fated edit of events that lacked truthful facts . . . she was proven wrong here.

We’re really not surprised by TOR’s actions regarding Teresa Nielsen Hayden. We are surprised by the length of time it has taken for them to finally wake up and take some action. However, one-by-one these self-proclaimed “publishing experts” continue to fall either by death (Crispin) or by revelation (e.g., MacAllister Stone, Lisa Spangenberg, et al). Time, Death and Karma seem to be catching up with these non-vindicated defendants in the Bauer vs. Glatzer case. [NOTE: The lead defendant, Ms. Jenna Glatzer, actually co-authored a book on cyber-bullying; can you say: incongruent?]

Victoria Strauss, commenting on another self-aggrandizing blog posting, proudly proclaimed on Twitter: “I feast on sharks.” This is quite a bold statement for someone that has a “favorite shark.”

It (Writer Beware™) purports that it “shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.” Selectively? Maybe? Sure, until the scam strikes at home base. In 2007 it did; and, it’s a SCAM of EPIC proportions. It involves the estate of Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck(i.e. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men(1937) . . . yes, that Steinbeck. Huge? We think so. Was the failure of Writer Beware™ to report this scam an oversight or a case where they just turned their heads and looked the other way? Swimming with the sharks?

What did this scam involve? In principle, it’s the kind of material that Writer Beware™ built its foundation on. Exposing scams that are relative to: 1) engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; 2) breaching fiduciary duties to a client; 3) obtaining an unreasonable fee; and 4) engaging in conduct which tends to defeat the administration of justice or to bring the courts or the legal profession into disrepute. These are the types of claims that spawned Writer Beware™ and its own version of their boycotts; otherwise known as their “Thumbs Down” lists. It’s time for the “bright light” to shine into the “dark corners of the shadow-world” of Victoria Strauss, Ann “A.C.” Crispin, Writer Beware™ and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA). There’s one name we will not see on any Writer Beware ™ list and we’ll let you decide exactly why that happened.

Who was this individual that engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; allegedly breached fiduciary duties to a client; purportedly obtained an unreasonable fee; and may have engaged in conduct which tends to defeat the administration of justice or to bring the courts or the legal profession into disrepute? Well, let’s take a close look at some of the relationships and links here.

Obviously, JJ Marsh, the author of this posting, completely missed the actual fact that one “Shark” (that scammed an author) was an attorney of the the SFWA & Writer Beware. We could not resist the opportunity to comment on her complete lack of fact-finding regarding Victoria Strauss and Writer Beware.

It is our expectation that Ms. Marsh will be more conscious of the implications of such yellow journalism and avoid them in the future at all costs. It is carelessness and misleading writing that is devoid of the complete truth. Strauss and Writer Beware should be discredited and Ms. Marsh has the power to do that through due diligence and fact finding.

Ms. Marsh & Words with Jam really dropped the ball here. We are sure that from across “the pond” this appears to be a great story. However, the unenlightened people that write these editorial masturbations need to dig beyond the false superficial impressions. The fact that JJ Marsh conducts “60 Second Interviews” should prove that more time was needed on this one. RUBBISH!

Kuzminski isn’t the first one to offer his opinion online, nor will he be the last. The trouble lies when information provided can be found false and harmful to someone’s reputation.

– Conseula Chavez

On August 13, 2013, David Lee Kuzminski, (the unscrupulous & embattled overseer of the infamous Preditors & Editors site), died from an apparent heart attack. Kuzminski passed away 24 days prior to Ann “A.C.” Crispin. There has been very little mentioned about the demise of David Lee Kuzminski. Victoria Strauss and Writer Beware appear to have been equally silent and have very coldly . . . very coldly . . . done nothing to memorialize their cult hero and co-defendant (Strauss’ only posting, post-Kuminski’s death, was on the Absolute Water Cooler inquiring about Andrew Burt’s status (see below).

Recently filed documents (February 6, 2014) indicate that Preditors & Editors is actually now a real Colorado non-profit organization (questions were raised previously when Kuzminski, who was being sued for defamation, was begging … BEGGING . . . readers/authors to financially support and donate to his legal defense fund). Andrew Burt will be running the site now. Burt has a long history an affiliation with the SFWA and Victoria Strauss.

“Andrew Burt . . . in my opinion [has] pretty clearly shown he’s absolutely and utterly incapable of recognizing his own incompetence, or the damage he’s done to the organization; really, what would have surprised me is if he hadn’t run. However, I can and will [sic] blame my fellow SFWAns if the man is actually elected president. Because I assume, hope and pray they are not as incompetent as he.”

“Why would you, as a writer, trust someone who has never signed a book contract with a science fiction publisher to engage in fruitful discussion with science fiction publishers about your professional concerns as a writer? Why would you, as a writer, trust someone who has barely any experience as a writer to move the organization in a direction that is relevant to your professional career? Equally importantly, if you were a brand-spanking-new science fiction writer, with your very first book contract in hand, why on earth would you join a professional writer’s organization whose president has less personal experience with book contracts than you do?”

Those Pesky Legalities

In New York and in Washington State, it’s illegal to register a business under an assumed name unless you also register your assumed name as “doing business as” (DBA). You can review the regulations at New York’s Division of Corporations and Washington’s Business Licensing Services pages. This is important because, at the time of this writing, MacAllister Stone, owner of Absolute Write, lives in Washington State and has Absolute Write registered in New York. However, MacAllister Stone is not a real person. Her real name, Melodi Susanne Sherman, is not registered as a DBA of MacAllister Stone in either state. That makes Absolute Write, the business entity, illegal [Emphasis added by The Write Agenda.].

I’m especially bothered by this for two reasons: I’m a fan of Writer Beware, and I don’t like that they’re unwilling to expose illegal or unethical behavior perpetrated by their friends; and it means I have to agree in part with The Write Agenda, whom I can’t stand [Emphasis added by The Write Agenda.].

Months ago, The Write Agenda (who doesn’t deserve a link; look them up if you’d like) posted about MacAllister Stone submitting a pseudonym and false address when Absolute Write was named in a lawsuit. I assumed it was a lie because TWA posted it. It was a slow day and I was curious, so I spent the afternoon poking around the Internet and public records. [Emphasis added by The Write Agenda.]. I [sic] didn’t take me long to locate a site called Forums Review, who seem to have an issue with Absolute Write as well, MacAllister Stone in particular. (In case you’re wondering, AW mods, no, I don’t have a connection with this site either. I tried to contact them through email because I didn’t want to have to create this blog, when they already had a perfectly serviceable one to which I could contribute. They never replied.) [Emphasis added by The Write Agenda.].The name Melodi Sherman was all I needed to find proof that she and MacAllister Stone are the same person. (Sorry to all those who were certain Lisa Spangenberg was MacAllister in disguise. Public records show otherwise.) It only took me two or three hours to track everything down. Why people think they can remain anonymous–to the point that they lie on legal documents!–is beyond me. [Emphasis added by The Write Agenda.].

Absolute Write’s address as listed in the WhoIs information visible on the Forums Reviewsite. To all the concern trolls or potential stalkers, this address is no longer her current address. It belonged to a ranch that Melodi managed, as shown below, and was sold several years ago. Don’t be asshats to the current owners, mkay?

The WhoIs information for LakeviewRanchRide.com, now defunct. Melodi is still using the username visible here, although the email address has changed.

Here’s an endurance ride from Lakeview, right before it closed. Melodi is the assistant manager and owner of the email used to register the domain.

I’d love to understand why Melodi thought her name was so secret that she committed perjury and fraud so she didn’t have to reveal it to anyone. I don’t plan to stalk or harass MacMelodi. Someone might, I suppose, but Lisa Spangenberg (real name) and Victoria Strauss (real name) seem to do just fine. They get pestered online, but people do that all the time even without knowing a real name.

This is speculation, but I would guess it’s because she doesn’t want to lose face in the Absolute Write community. She portrays herself as a publishing professional in order to reign over the forums. In reality, though, her only publishing credit is her thesis, a rather dense and unremarkable treatise on Stephen King.

In summary, Absolute Write and its owner, MacAllister Stone aka Melodi Sherman, are guilty of crimes the Bewares topic and Writer Beware regularly expose. Melodi has no grounds for mocking anyone on a high-profile industry forum that posts publishing advice. She’s barely qualified to edit other people’s work for money; an MFA from a state university doesn’t replace real-life experience (running a ranch and trimming horses’ hooves don’t count toward that experience). Worst of all, Melodi has committed perjury when providing false data to the New Jersey courts, and fraud when registering Absolute Write as a business entity.

I wish I hadn’t had to post this. I shouldn’t have to. Make it right, Absolute Write and Writer Beware. Or you’re as bad as the criminals you claim to oppose, and you’re hypocrites too.